3gatti architecture combines disks + bars to form forest-like store in shanghai

3gatti architecture has created out of two perfectly combined elements, a flawless functioning store in shanghai.

the main idea was to arrange dense areas of vertical steel bars to define the space and the aesthetics: an abstract forest-like room. thanks to the vertical bars it was possible to fix disc-shaped fiberglass elements all around the shop generating surfaces to display the bags and shoes. some larger circular objects were secured closer to the floor serving as a seating area. as for the dresses, elongated pieces of the same material were placed horizontally so that they could be hanged from there.

to increase the contrast of the vertical lines and make its perception more powerful, barrisol light walls were added all around the shop. this type of lighting not only diffuses uniformly the light, but gives an impression of the bars eroding from the floor and reaching the ceiling thanks to the shadows.

the simplicity and minimalism of the design can be perceived through the limited amount of materials, colors and elements that sum up to a pleasurable shopping experience. the architect francesco gatti later reflects that ‘this is one of the few projects i did without any preliminary thinking, probably this concept was already in my subconscious a long time ago and i just suddenly dug it out during one of my meditation sessions.’

 

the lower discs serve as a seating area and support when trying on shoes

 

the barrisol luminescent wall creates a uniform diffusion of the light

 

the light background creates contrasted silhouettes of the vertical bars

 

visitors will move around different densities of vertical bars

 

thanks to the high light contrast, the dark bars merge into the dark floor and ceiling